High winds and record-breaking rains battered Tokyo and large parts of central Japan last night.

This forced the government to issue its highest level of emergency rainfall warnings and advise nearly 8 million people to evacuate their homes to avoid landslides and flooding.

The storm has already disrupted the Rugby World Cup, with two games just outside Tokyo cancelled yesterday and is threatening today’s Formula One Grand Prix in Suzuka.

In the midst of the storm, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck off the coast southeast of Tokyo, shaking buildings in the capital. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.